Calls to unify political efforts, protect Kurdish language, guarantee education in Kurdish

As part of ongoing demands to protect the Kurdish language, guarantee the right to education in Kurdish, and secure constitutional recognition for the language, Delber Shamo, co-chair of the Democratic Union Party in the city of Derbasiyah, called for unifying the efforts of Kurdish political parties to protect the Kurdish language and culture and guarantee the right to education in one's mother tongue.

She said that the current phase requires raising awareness and engaging in joint action to counter attempts to erase Kurdish identity, emphasizing that speaking and learning in one's mother tongue is a natural right that must not be violated.

She pointed out that the attacks targeting Rojava sought to weaken Kurdish strength and break the will of the Kurdish people, adding that targeting their culture and language is an extension of attempts to erase their identity.

She affirmed her rejection of any infringement on the rights of any component of Syrian society and stressed the need to guarantee everyone's right to speak, learn, and teach in their mother tongues, without diminishing the rights of the Kurdish people or their language.

Call for a joint political campaign

Delber Shamo called for launching a political campaign involving all parties, based on common ground, foremost among which are protecting the Kurdish language and guaranteeing the right to education in Kurdish.

She explained that the existence of multiple political parties does not prevent them from unifying their positions on shared issues, and that the sensitivity of the current phase requires setting aside differences and coordinating efforts.

She also stressed the importance of continuing events and activities calling for mother-tongue education in schools and raising public awareness to counter the so-called “special warfare” targeting Kurdish identity and language.

Call for constitutional recognition

For his part, party member Ahmed Suleiman affirmed that the Kurdish language is an essential part of the identity and existence of the Kurdish people, who have struggled for years to protect it and guarantee the right to speak and receive education in it. He also stressed the need to recognize Kurdish as an official language in the Syrian Constitution.

He said that Kurdish has been taught freely in areas of Rojava for approximately 15 years, and that this experience encompasses thousands of students and teachers. He added that preserving this achievement has been the result of sustained efforts to establish education in the mother tongue.

He added that intellectuals and political parties would continue to call for the recognition of Kurdish as a second official language in the Syrian Constitution. He emphasized that “the Kurdish language is a red line.”

Suleiman expressed his rejection of depriving children of the right to learn in their mother tongue, particularly after years of Kurdish-language education and the establishment of educational institutions and universities that use Kurdish as a language of instruction.

He also noted that the Kurdish people had preserved their language despite the policies of prohibition and marginalization to which they were subjected under the former Syrian regime.

Regarding Decree No. 13, issued by the head of the transitional government, which referred to Kurdish as a national language, Suleiman considered that this step did not meet all the demands.

He stressed the need to guarantee constitutional recognition of Kurdish as an official language, establish the right to education in Kurdish, and ensure its use across various fields.

ANHA